Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Mattison.
Hi Sarah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
My husband and I got married in May of 2022 and I essentially planned the entire event myself. In my humble opinion, planning a wedding is a full-time job. Between research, reaching out to different vendors, getting quotes, and making sure they can deliver what you want- it can be so time-consuming especially if you work a normal job! One area in particular that I struggled with was wedding decor.
My now husband and I were fortunate to have a decent amount of funds for our special day, but we still had a budget to stick to (like most couples) and tried to save money where we could. When I started looking for decor, I reached out to a few different planners and rental services thinking renting would surely be cheaper than buying everything, but it turns out that that’s not entirely true! It seemed as though everything I loved was collectively too expensive and more budget-friendly items unfortunately weren’t quite what I was looking for.
After a couple of weeks, I decided that it would make the most sense for me to collect my decor and pay my day of coordinator to set up everything for me. As I collected more and more decor items, I had a thought- what if after my wedding I was able to help other brides like me find unique, classy, and trendy decor at a more reasonable price? I have always loved helping people in some, way, shape, or form and loved the idea of being able to help other brides make their visions come to life as well as save time and money!
So I did just that- ever since my wedding, I have slowly expanded my decor collection to include more themes and styles and offer several different service options to accommodate just about any budget. I consider my collection to be fairly small compared to other well-established decor rental companies in the Twin Cities, but I feel pretty confident that I have items that just about any bride would love! I officially launched Modern Eclectic Events in February of this year and have enjoyed every second of it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like any new business, I think I have had some bumps in the road but overall things have been smooth. I feel like I learn something new every time I connect with another vendor in the industry, consult with a bride, and even make a booking!
I love learning and anytime something doesn’t go quite as expected, I just use it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve for the future. Since February, I have improved my questionnaires to get the information I need to be able to streamline my communication with potential clients and have learned how to better transport my goods to prevent damage.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Modern Eclectic Events is a decor rental and service company. I consider my style eclectic which means “deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources”. I decided to utilize that word for my business because I want to be able to help other brides and event planners who can resonate with my style but also those who just have unique and trendy styles of their own!
I specialize in weddings but am open and willing to help plan the decor for any event. I have helped with birthday and baby shower setups in addition to weddings. I think what sets me apart from others is empathy. I consider myself a highly empathetic person and when I talk to a potential client, I try to put myself in their shoes. I try and understand their vision, their budget, their stress, and how I can best help them- even if that means admitting that I might not have what someone is looking for!
I truly try my best to look out for the best interest of the client and pride myself on that. I created my brand and catalog – I know it’s far from perfect but I think it demonstrates the style(s) of decor that I offer. I have vintage, modern, boho, and eclectic options and I think both my brand and name help communicate that with potential clients.
What do you think about happiness?
Besides my husband, my dogs, and my friends & family, I love helping people.
When I have a consult with a bride and her eyes light up from the mock-up design I’ve put together for her, or the look on a couple’s face when they walk into their beautifully decorated venue that is everything they wanted and more – THAT fills my cup so much and makes me so happy.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderneclecticevents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moderneclecticevents
Image Credits
Holly Mattison and Teri Ziegler
